JayLaga'aia
- Actor
Auckland-born Jay Laga’aia is the proverbial man of many talents. A busy trans-Tasman career as actor/performer has seen him performing on stage (The Lion King) and screen (Street Legal, Water Rats, Star Wars).
Screenography
Biography
Jay Laga’aia hates to be pigeonholed. In a 2007 interview with American author Magdalena Ball, he spoke of wearing many different hats, “because they help feed my children.”
Laga’aia grew up in South Auckland and Ponsonby, to Samoan parents. His family were musically-inclined. As a teenager he toured in bands, then got an early job as a council worker, teaching street kids to play musical instruments. Laga’aia considered becoming an athlete, but instead got hooked into the “drug” of acting.
Awards
2003 New Zealand Television Awards
Nominated for Best Actor: for Street Legal
2002 TV Guide New Zealand Television Awards
Nominated for Best Actor: for Street Legal
“I’ve always tried to aid myself in getting jobs by being multifunctional. If you’re from New Zealand you need many strings to your bow. Most of the Kiwis I know are triple threats – they can act, sing and dance. ”